Kinda the story of our lives, as women.
Here are 15 famous women who are self-professed atheists:
1. Julianne Moore
On Inside The Actors Studio:
Host: "What would you like to hear God say to you at the pearly gates?"
Moore: "Well…. I guess you were wrong, I do exist."
2. Angelina Jolie
The Onion A.V. Club asked celebrities “Is There A God?"
Angelina Jolie: “Hmm... For some people. I hope so, for them. For the people who believe in it, I hope so. There doesn't need to be a God for me.”
3. Janeane Garofolo
“The Bible, I've said it before, is a beautifully written work of fiction.”
4. Nigella Lawson
"I was brought up an atheist and have always remained so. But at no time was I led to believe that morality was unimportant or that good and bad did not exist. I believe passionately in the need to distinguish between right and wrong and am somewhat confounded by being told I need God, Jesus or a clergyman to help me to do so."
5. Ayn Rand
I’m not sure how I feel about all of her philosophy (people are just…not selfish enough? Hmm) but this woman was SOLID on her atheism, and had some pretty badass arguments to back herself up.
"Faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason. But you must remember that religion is an early form of philosophy, that the first attempts to explain the universe, to give a coherent frame of reference to man's life and a code of moral values, were made by religion, before men graduated or developed enough to have philosophy. And, as philosophies, some religions have very valuable moral points. They may have a good influence or proper principles to inculcate, but in a very contradictory context and, on a very - how should I say it? - dangerous or malevolent base: on the ground of faith."
6. Ayaan Hirsi Ali
“The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.”
7. Kathy Griffin
'My parents sent me to Catholic school, which only made me the vehement militant atheist that I am today"
8. Katharine Hepburn
“I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for people.”
9. Elyse Sewell
Photo courtesy of hk-magazine.com
“I’m just not interested in having quiet time to read my bible. I am a militant atheist."
10. Emma Thompson
"I'm an atheist; I suppose you can call me a sort of libertarian anarchist. I regard religion with fear and suspicion. It's not enough to say that I don't believe in God. I actually regard the system as distressing: I am offended by some of the things said in the Bible and the Koran, and I refute them."
11. Keira Knightley
"If only I wasn't an atheist; I could get away with anything. You'd just ask for forgiveness, and then you'd be forgiven."
12. Sarah Bernhardt
Photograph by Sarony Napoleon, 1900
A.K.A. "The most famous actress the world has ever known." (1844-1923)
When asked by French composer Charles Gounod if she ever prayed, Bernhadt replied "No, never. I'm an atheist."
13. Phyllis Diller
"We were not created by a deity. We created the deity in our image."
“I’m kind to everybody. I treat everybody the same, and I'm proud of that. In fact, that's my religion."
14. Nina Hartley
"...I would like to know about Jewish religion as history, but as an atheist, I see no reason to practice any religion... because it is organized superstition...the opiate of the masses."
15. Dame Helen Mirren
“I don't believe in God. But I do believe in treating other people as you'd want to be treated and being empathetic."
If you would like more of that sweet, delicious feminist atheism in your life, go to skepchick.org, founded by badass Rebecca Watson.
Am I missing anyone? Any thoughts on these ladies or on feminist atheists? Share in the comments!
